Designed by architect Maury Hurt to occupy the footprint of an existing A-frame, this serene lakeside home maximizes its location and boasts many vernacular exterior finishes including stone, cedar shake and pebble dash stucco. Green built and Energy Star efficient, the home earned regional and national awards for the builder, Living Stone Construction, and a state-level award for the interior designers, Allard & Roberts.

Photography by David Dietrich

Adiscreet sign at the front entrance reads “Sanctuary.” Fair enough. You’ve navigated some narrow country roads and come down a steep driveway to get here. The cedar shake and stone house is tucked into a wooded lot, perched on the hillside beside Lake Lure. A mountain retreat — a lake house…it makes sense. But then you walk through the stone portal and enter the great room. Before you, a massive arched wall of windows captures a stunning view: the vast sky, the distant, craggy face of a mountain and the sparkling waters of the lake. It is breathtaking. Suddenly the rest of the world slips away and you understand.

Interior designers Allard & Roberts’ artful integration of wood in the trim work and furnishings of the great room creates a calm, organic sensibility. They mix contemporary styling with low maintenance materials — such as the roomy leather couches and sleek leather barstools.

For the homeowners — both physicians (a cardiologist and an anesthesiologist) — the home is a something of a decompression chamber. A separate peace, it is far removed from the hectic, life-and-death activities that form their daily round. Serene and orderly, bucolic yet sophisticated, it is the antidote to the stress of their high-pressure careers.

Active and outdoorsy, the couple purchased the property primarily for the location and easy access to water sports and hiking trails. The existing A-frame structure was dated and somewhat ramshackle, but suitable as a getaway. As time passed, however, they found themselves considering its potential as a retirement home and knew that a major overhaul was necessary.

Compact, yet ergonomic, the kitchen features a bump-out breakfast bar in the center island. A covered outdoor grilling area and an ample pantry flank the workspace. Alder cabinets are by Ashley’s Kitchen and Bath, countertops are from Mountain Marble. The tile is from Crossville Tile and light fixtures are from Lux.

They consulted with architect Maury Hurt of Black Mountain to design their dream home, but soon discovered that building restrictions in Lake Lure are somewhat challenging. It became apparent that their new residence would need to be constructed, essentially, within the current footprint.

Hurt envisioned a structure that would utilize the existing concrete foundation, offering all that the former building had not — an open floor plan with segregated private quarters for the homeowners and ample deck space for entertaining — and maximize the astounding views.

The real challenge was in the formation. With steep terrain that drops several hundred feet from the road to the lake, the new construction would need to be surgically inserted into the site. “There were all sorts of limitations, including access,” recalls Sean Sullivan of Living Stone Construction, the contractor on the project. “This home site was on a really tiny back road — one way in, one way out. Trying to stage materials there was very tricky.” From repaving and widening the road to accommodate their vehicles to deftly siting the crane that would deliver the steel infrastructure of the wall of windows, they somehow, miraculously, made it work

A compact Juliet balcony just beyond the French doors in the master bedroom affords a stunning long-range view and provides the homeowners with a quiet spot for morning coffee, available from an en suite kitchenette.

Since the renovation would include the boathouse and seawall, stone and other materials for the project were ferried across the lake. The builders staged the project up from the shoreline towards the road. Along the way, landscape architect Scott Bolyard replaced the home’s exhaustingly steep stairway access to the lake with a gentler transitional path that cuts across the grade and provides sets of steps at 20-foot intervals. Landscaper Steve Towe dressed the hillside in a selection of easy-care, perennial native plants.

Low maintenance with high function was a key element in the design of home’s layout and interiors as well. “The homeowners have some traditional leanings in terms of their taste, but appreciate contemporary as well, so our goal was to hit right down the middle with a transitional style,” notes Talli Roberts, ASID of Allard & Roberts, who handled the interior design and worked with the architect and contractor on the interior finishes. “The home has an Arts & Crafts sensibility with a modern edge. We wanted it to feel current, yet timeless — well constructed and built to last.”

Tucked beneath the gables in the upstairs loft space, a compact home office overlooks the wall of windows in the great room and the spectacular views beyond. The desk is from Four Corners Home, the rug from Togar. Tall ceramic floor vases are by Kyle Carpenter. RIGHT: A cozy seating area surrounds the two-story fireplace fashioned from North Carolina fieldstone. The painting on the mantel is by Asheville artist Wendy Whitson.

Set beneath a two-story gabled ceiling — which is clad in tongue-in-groove cypress and accented with cedar beams — the impressive great room includes a seating area, encircling the soaring fireplace of North Carolina fieldstone. The dining area is positioned to take full advantage of the vista, while the wet bar with ebonized wood counter is deftly tucked beneath the second floor loft. A carefully selected palette of wood species in the flooring, trim and furniture softens the linear quality of the architecture and creates a sense of warmth and enclosure, counterbalancing the expanse of glass.

Upstairs, the loft opens to the central space, offering unimpeded views from a small home office beneath the gable. On this private floor, a well-equipped exercise room — complete with laundry facility — sits to one side and the master bedroom and bath occupy the opposite wing. The master suite is all about relaxation, with a slate-faced corner fireplace, bespoke linens dressing a custom bed fashioned from reclaimed wood, a coffee/beverage station and French doors that open to a Juliet balcony that overlooks the water.

Throughout the home, ornamentation is kept to a minimum; in furnishing the residence, Roberts relied on subtle texture and natural materials to imbue the space with a sense of comfort and serenity. The innate neutrality of the background allows for the accent color — currently a soft blue — to be changed out with the seasons…or with the homeowners’ fancy. “What we aimed to achieve was restfulness,” Roberts explains. “With too many focal points, your eye doesn’t know what to rest on. The repetition of colors and shapes soothes the soul.”

The project’s comprehensive approach of great design and meticulous craftsmanship has garnered both regional and national awards for Allard & Roberts and Living Stone Construction. But more importantly, it has created a sanctuary that delights the owners and serves both their present and future needs. And that’s just what the doctors ordered.

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Testimonials

We are thrilled with our green built home designed and built especially for us by Living Stone Construction. The care they took in choosing materials and using sustainable building practices are allowing us to enjoy excellent air quality inside our home while we realize amazing savings on our energy bills.

Living Stone Construction, and ID.ology Interior Design, were a pleasure to work with throughout all facets of our project. They were integral during our design stage and handled our fast-track schedule like true professionals. It is so rare to work with people who don’t make excuses or point fingers – Living Stone Construction and ID.ology are comprised of those rare people.

With Sean and Laura’s design-and-build business model, we knew exactly what was going on. It was helpful as far as keeping us on point for the amount we’d budgeted for each part of the house. It was very transparent and reasonable to me, more so than with other builders. We knew what we were getting.

Sean Sullivan and his group are the most professional and pleasant builders I have the had the pleasure of working with. They go to great lengths to determine what their customers want (and their budget requirements). Then they do everything possible to “under sell and over deliver”. Sean is an exceptional builder that delivers an exceptional home.

Over the last 10 years, time has not marked the home – nothing on the inside has needed re-staining, and nothing on the outside has needed re-painting. It’s been very minimal for the yearly things you would think you had to do. We don’t have a list of repair people because we haven’t needed them.

The building supervision was good. The communication was good. We didn’t have any problems with the billing. There really weren’t any surprises. It was really easy, which is almost unheard of in a construction situation.

He does things right for the sake of doing them right and that was the impression we got with every facet of our experience with Living Stone. That made us just be able to trust them and trust their system.

They have a process that is thoroughly thought out, thoroughly vetted and thoroughly effective. The process from start to finish was totally transparent and the bottom line was that it was a fun process and not a stressful process.

I was impressed with the emphasis on high quality construction, energy efficiency and an aging in place concept. If you choose LSC and ID.ology you’ll have the piece of mind that you’ve chosen the best.

I couldn’t be more pleased. Michael and I feel like we are on vacation, everytime we walk into the kitchen. Frank and all the crew has really made this project go smoothly, and I can’t thank Living Stone enough.

We chose Living Stone because of Sean but we love Living Stone because of their team. Molly, Pam, Frank, Laura and our main man Mike! Mike drives our home’s construction, can answer any question at a level you can understand and is a pleasure to work with. Laura organizes and improves all of our design decisions, gives us inspiration and keeps everything on track. Sean, it is a credit to you that you have surrounded yourself with so many truly good people.

I have to comment on everyone’s integrity. Everyone has been of the highest caliber and truly made us feel like they care about us as people, our satisfaction and that we are getting a home, not just a house. I rate every aspect of this process, every member of this team and every subcontractor, an A plus!

The process of design+build and creating something that is so energy efficient is a miracle to me. Sean has a way of putting things together so that we get the product that we want and then he puts together the quality product that he knows he can build.

I don’t know why someone would not choose Living Stone to build their home. It is such a polished production that gives you a polished complete finish. You have no doubt that the product you have is the house you dreamed of!

We built this home from a remote location so we had to put a lot of faith in Frank the Superintendent, Sean of Living Stone, and Laura the designer, to make sure they were building this home to our specifications and to meet our needs. Frankly I have to admit I was extremely impressed. I don’t think they missed anything and they exceeded our expectations.

It’s special, it’s wonderful and I keep pinching myself because I cannot believe that this is our home. Living Stone Construction, headed by Sean Sullivan more than met our expectations. They hit a grand slam out of the ball park. This house is amazing!

Your integrity, skill, kindness and warmth shows in your words as well as your actions. We are and will forever be grateful to have worked with such an amazing group of people. Being part of the Living Stone family is our blessing. Thank you.

The energy efficiency of the house has made it very comfortable through some very extreme weather and our energy bills have been remarkably low. The energy star rating of the home has really paid off. Truly, I haven’t had energy costs this low in 20 years.

Sean has the rare quality of being able to see the big picture while being engaged in the fine details of his projects combined with the ability to effectively and efficiently communicate both in a way that not only gets the job done but gets it done with a commitment to excellence that has enabled him to be a leader among his building industry peers across North Carolina. I have known Sean for close to 10 years and have a great professional and personal admiration of his work and character.

Sean’s knowledge of building practices and principles, conceptually and practically, really impressed me. I eventually saw his work in person and was blown away by the craftsmanship. He is a TRUE craftsman — no cookie cutter work here. The houses he builds are incredible — the floorplans are well thought out, and the details are really special.

The Living Stone Construction Design/Build team, are the best in the area. I have been in, and around, the building and real estate industry throughout my life and I have never met a builder that has as much integrity, passion for what he does, care for his clients and the motivation to always exceed expectations, drive to continue learning and honing his skills and techniques to offer his clients the best. Anyone who hires Living Stone Construction will not be disappointed and will have the home of their dreams!

I have known Sean for many years and can say with out a doubt he has the highest degree of professionalism, attention to detail and desire to provide a spectacular customer service experience I have ever seen.

Sean has an extremely professional TEAM who supported my clients initially and now throughout the process. He builds trust and it is deserved — Sean has high standards for himself and that is obvious in how he does business.

I have built or renovated 5 homes and completed tens of millions of dollars of commercial construction. Sean is the most professional, knowledgeable, honest, organized residential builders it has been my pleasure to know. He recently completed our custom home in the Settings of Black Mountain and exceeded our expectations in every way. From his staff to his sub contractors, excellence is practiced every day.

From a professional standpoint Sean Sullivan with Living Stone Construction goes above and beyond to make sure his clients as well as the general public and colleagues are as educated as possible with building homes in the mountains.

Simply awesome company !!!! If your looking for the best, you need not look any further. Custom built quality homes and fantastic folks who care about you and your new home! Living Stone Construction you are the BEST!

Sean Sullivan’s team of builders are top notch. They converted a small residential building into a arts n crafts commercial masterpiece.. With over 2,000 sq ft of addition; everything looks as if it’s been here since day one. I highly recommend Sean and his team of experts.

The process of design/build and creating something that is so energy efficient is a miracle to me. Sean has a way of putting things together so that we get the product that we want and then he puts together the quality product that he knows he can build.

Sean is the most organized manager I have encountered. I would match his management skills against any of the Managing Directors of the Fortune 500 Company that I worked with in project management, financial planning, and negotiations. He expects and demands the best from his employees, as do Living Stone’s clients. He is a true leader. Pam Potter

From the beginning, Sean was a great listener, offered ideas and introduced us to his team. We have been extremely happy with everything that has been done so far. We anticipate the building phase with great joy! A top professional for sure.

Having worked together on an award winning home, I found Sean and his team to be attentive to the quality of construction, committed to incorporating sustainable building practices and materials, and thorough in tracking costs. He was very willing to work with my team during the construction process which provided the best level of service to our client. Sean is a builder that I recommend highly.

LSC was a pleasure to work with throughout our remodeling project. Frank worked diligently to meet our deadline for completion of late January, despite snow and ice. Their ability to deliver a quality product in a timely manner while still being able to adapt to unforeseen circumstances was greatly appreciated.

We love our home. In addition to building a quality home, Sean is honest, responsive, a pleasure to work with. He really makes the entire process flow quite comfortably. Living out of state when we had our home built was initially cause for some concern for us. Sean and the superintendent of our project were in constant communication with us, letting us know well in advance when decision points were approaching. And the weekly pictures were wonderful. I wouldn’t have been able to cope without them. Probably the best comment I could make is that if we were to build again, we’d use Sean again in a heartbeat

Sean Sullivan’s skills and experience exemplify superlative leadership in business and construction. His commitment to doing the right thing and being focused on the best interests of his customers is always clear. The consummate professional, Sean’s strong relationships with the many disciplines within the trade establish him as one the best go-to contractors in the business!

Living Stone did a fantastic job on our mountain house. They far exceeded our expectations and always kept us informed throughout the entire job. Their crew are real craftsmen- from carpenters to painters, they were professional in every way. If you want a beautiful and well-done job, these are the guys. We highly recommend them, so if you have bad experiences in the past, call Sean and deal with a real pro

As an architect specializing in custom residential home design in the Asheville area, I have had the opportunity to work with Sean Sullivan on multiple custom home designs in The Settings of Black Mountain. Our experiences have been very positive, as has been the feedback from my clients. Sean’s strong work ethic, commitment to quality craftsmanship, attention to detail and customer satisfaction was exceptional. In the world of construction it’s refreshing to work with someone who values honesty and integrity. Sean takes pride in each and every home he builds. I look forward to our continued working relationship and can confidently recommend Living Stone Construction